When we do our workshops or book events, we always ask the participants to introduce themselves and tell us the names of their animal companions. This exercise gets a lot of laughs as people share the creative names they have given their furry friends. One of our favorites was a woman who named her two somewhat frantic cats, Schizo and Phrenia. …

Then Tuffy’s cries took a new tone. When I went to get out of bed, an intruder confronted me in my bedroom. I yelled, and he ran off. Tuffy was still snarling and crying from under the stove. Now I will listen to her more closely when she goes on a little rampage. …

The animals in our home seem to catch on to quite a bit of our verbal communication. We know that they read our body language, behavior, and emotions. They pick up mental and visual images. But we’ve been noticing the human language they recognize. …

Drum roll, please: Betty White, yes, THE Betty White has endorsed the book. Her co-star in the new comedy on TVLand, Wendie Malick also sent an endorsement. You may remember Wendie as the model in the long-playing TV series, “Just Shoot Me!” We are so very grateful for their support. …

We don’t publish every request for helping animals that we receive. We know that as an animal lover on the Internet, you are receiving e-mails everyday. But we want you to know about the efforts of our friend Jeff Dorson, executive director of the Humane Society of Louisiana. He works tirelessly for the Gulf Coast animals. …